INSTI - LESSON 4 DOCUMENTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON MISSION between evangelization and charity for the less-fortunate.
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AND EVANGELIZATION
The Catholic Church’s mission is to carry out and continue the work of Jesus
Christ on earth. The Church, and those in it must or commissioned to: share
the Word of God, help those in need, and live as examples to all. In so doing,
we are all called to be evangelizers of Christ.
All faithful by virtue of baptism have shared the threefold mission of Christ:
Priestly, Kingly, and Prophetic. This mission is to be expressed in accordance
with our state of life.
To help us propagate the work of Christ on earth, some Catholic Church’
documents on Mission will be cited. These documents are usually in a form
of encyclical letters.
Before dealing with each of the encyclical, we need to consider two very
essential concerns: what is an encyclical and what social teaching principles
behind each encyclical?
As its name implies, an encyclical is a “circular letter” to be spread
throughout the community; an archdioceses, dioceses, and parishes or all
catholic faithful, in general. They are usually written or published in Latin
and written by Popes on issues of general concern, like peace
or human rights, labor, and the like.
The governing social teaching principles of social encyclicals are the life and
dignity of the human person, solidarity, care for God’s creation, call to family,
community and participation, option for the poor and vulnerable, rights and
responsibilities, dignity of work and rights of the workers.
The succeeding items deal with summaries of the different encyclicals on the
mission of the Catholic Church.
1) Evangelli Praecones – On Promoting Catholic Missions
Written by Pope Pius XII on June 2, 1951. This encyclical is issued on the
25th anniversary of Rerum Ecclesiae (Encyclical on Catholic Missions).
Despite the interruption created by the Second World War, the missions had
achieved a great deal. These achievements are listed in the encyclical, and
include a steady growth in the number of indigenous clergy and bishops. The
letter emphasizes the importance of education, especially at a time when
communism was spreading rapidly. An important command contained in the
encyclical was that missionaries should respect the culture and customs of
the people:
....let not the Gospel on being introduced into any new land destroy or
extinguish whatever its people possess that is naturally good, just or
beautiful. For the Church, when she calls people to a higher culture and a
better way of life, under the inspiration of the Christian religion, does not act
like one who recklessly cuts down and uproots a thriving forest. No, she
grafts a good scion upon the wild stock that it may bear a crop of more
delicious fruit. (#56).
The central themes of the said encyclical are: bring Christian truth to new
peoples and form new Christians, establish Church on firm and definite
foundations among new peoples, choose leaders for the people of the place,
called upon lay people to cooperate with clergy, to perform Catholic action,
and to join associations that are in conformity with the Church in bringing
social justice, and finally missionaries are not to crush good elements of
local cultures, destroy fine arts, culture, customs, tradition and local feasts,
but to rather sanctify them and alter their meaning to celebrate the
mysteries of faith or commemorate martyrs.
2) Ad Gentes – Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church
A decree released during the Second Vatican Council on December 7, 1965.
It announces the Catholic Church’s commitment to bringing the Gospel to all
people. (The name Ad Gentes comes from the Latin translation of Jesus’
exhortation of the apostles to “go forth”). It establishes evangelization as
one of the fundamental missions of the Catholic Church and reaffirms the tie
calls for the formation of strong lay groups, as well as strong relations with
other Christians. Finally, it lays out guidelines for the training and actions of
the missionaries.
3) Evangelii Nuntiandi – Evangelization in the Modern World
An Apostolic Exhortation written by Pope Paul VI on December 8, 1975. This
was primarily given to the Church in order to enrich and deepen herself in
the understanding of evangelization. It is likely to be an update regarding
the state of the Church ten years after the Vatican II council (No. 76)
especially on its call for renewal. In other words, Evangelii Nuntiandi is
merely telling us how to evangelize or proclaim the message of the Gospel in
context with the present situation of the society and of the world. It was like
re-defining the meaning of evangelization in context. With this general
perspective and purpose of the publish of this document, we can then say
that the call for renewal is extended not only for the ordained ministers but
to all believers in all forms of human society.
On the introduction and first chapter of the document, Pope Paul VI gave a
very clear emphasis on the importance of evangelization not as an optional
contribution for the Church but rather as one of human’s role in its search
for the truth. For Pope Paul VI, the call to evangelize is a personal command
of our Lord, Jesus Christ and not merely a personal disposition of anybody...
The second chapter this time deals with the definition of evangelization. For
the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all strata of
humanity and through its influence in transforming humanity from within
and making it new. In matters of evangelizing, culture plays an important
role. Gospel and evangelization are not identical with culture and are
independent in regard to all cultures (No. 20). If we want to evangelize we
must proclaim the Gospel and to proclaim the Gospel is only by witnessing
of life (No. 21).
The third chapter discusses on the content of evangelization especially its
essential content and secondary elements. The essential content must first
be witness, in a simple and direct way, to God revealed by Jesus Christ in the
Holy Spirit... And, the secondary elements are likely the sacraments since it
completes evangelization (No. 28).
Chapter four gives us this time the methods and suitable means in
evangelizing.... The first means of evangelization is the witness of
authentically Christian life (No. 41). Second is the emphasis and necessity of
preaching.... The other means are Catechetics, which is a systematic
religious instruction of the fundamental teachings of the Church (No. 44).
Mass media, personal contact, sacraments and popular piety are some of
the other ways of proclaiming the Good News of our salvation.
Chapter five addresses the question of to whom shall the content and
methods be applied to. The first sphere of proclamation is addressed
especially to those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ or
to children, non-Christian religions and non-believers (Nos. 52-55). The
second sphere of proclamation is that of those who do not practice (No. 56).
One way of helping them is forming “small communities” or ecclesial
communautes de base, which are communities that come together within
the Church.
Chapter six now calls for people who will be responsible in proclaiming the
Gospel message. In other words, who are the workers for evangelization? In
general, it is the Church, who is a missionary by nature. And, first on the line
is the successor of Peter, the Pope. Next are the Bishops and priests;
religious and most especially the laity. Under the umbrella of laity, we have
the family, young people and diversified ministers.
On the final chapter, all these wonderful plan and techniques of
evangelization can only be possible without the action of the Holy Spirit.
Meaning nothing cannot replace the gentle action of the Holy Spirit. Again
the witnessing of life is emphasized as the best way of evangelizing.
Coercion or dishonourable or unworthy pressure is now removed since it
will not respect the liberty and consciences of our brethren. Thus, there is a
complete clarity and with total respect for the free options as it was
presented (No. 80).
4) To the Ends of the Earth: A Pastoral Statement of World Mission
A Pastoral Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on
1897. This Pastoral Statement has two-fold purposes: First, to stimulate
interest in and a personal sense of responsibility for the Church’s mission to
other people... This mission to the peoples of all nations must involve all of
us personally and individually in our parishes and at the diocesan and
universal levels of the Church. Second, is to affirm missionaries in their
efforts to proclaim the Gospel and promote the Reign of God. Jesus Christ,
the Lord of all, is with them as they go forth in His name. So must the entire
Church in the U.S. be with them as they carry out our common mission
under difficult and often dangerous circumstances.
Our focus in this pastoral is the proclamation of the Gospel to people
outside the United States. While we are acutely conscious of our continuing
need to evangelize in our own country, that challenge, as great as it is, must
never cause us to forget our responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus
with the rest of the world. Our concern must be for the whole Church, but
especially for “those parts of the world where the Word of God has not yet
been proclaimed.”
5) Redemptoris Missio – On the Permanent Validity of the Church’s
Missionary Mandate
An encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the 25th
anniversary of Ad Gentes, written on December 7, 1990.
Redemptoris Missio (Mission of the Redeemer) is an encyclical of Pope John
Paul II on the urgency and necessity for missionary activities and endeavours
in the world. Upholding the universal importance of missionary activity for
all Christians but recognizing its negative connotation in the multicultural
and religiously tolerant modern world, the Pope attempts to revive the
missionary vitality of the Christian community while defending its intention.
John Paul II elaborates that Christian missionary activity does not detract
from human freedom, the diversity of culture, or the good within other
religions. However, these worthy goods do not lessen the importance of or
mandate for the Christian spreading of the Gospel or work towards the
salvation of souls. Approaching a controversial matter in a new age, this
encyclical is highly important for understanding the Catholic Church’s
interaction with other religions and the larger world.
6) Dialogue and Proclamation: Reflection and Orientations On
Interreligious Dialogue and The Proclamation of The Gospel of Jesus
Christ
An instruction of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, May 19,
1991.
This is published some months after Redemptoris Missio, the Missionary
Encyclical of Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Arinze said: “(Dialogue and
Proclamation) goes into further detail on an important question: how do
Interreligious Dialogue and Proclamation – announcing the Gospel in order
to invite people to accept it and to be incorporated into the Church through
baptism – go together?” While maintaining the permanent priority of
proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
Dialogue and Proclamation declares unequivocally that “despite the
difficulties, the Church’s commitment to dialogue remains firm and
irreversible” (No. 54).
The necessity to show the clear relation between dialogue and proclamation
has been felt ever since the publication of Nostra Aetate (In Our Time). In
this context, Dialogue and Proclamation has become a reference point for
those who wish to go deeper into this argument. The Holy Father wrote in
Redemptoris Missio: “Interreligious dialogue is a part of the Church’s
evangelizing mission. Understood as a method and means of
mutualknowledge and enrichment, dialogue is not in opposition to the
mission ad gentes; indeed, it has special links with that mission and is one of
its expressions.”
7) Ecclesia in Asia – On Jesus Christ the Savior and His Mission of Love
and Service in Asia:”...That they may have life and have it
abundantly” (Jn. 10:10)
A Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of written by Pope John Paul II on
November 6, 1999.
This document is issued by Pope John Paul II to serve as a blueprint for the
expansion of the Roman Catholic faith in Asia. It summarizes ideas and
conclusions of the Special Asian Synod held in Rome from April 18 to May 14,
1998. It was officially promulgated by John Paul II in New Delhi, India on
November 6, 1999.
The document stated that “just as in the first millennium the Cross was
planted on the soil of Europe, and in the second on that of the Americas and
Africa, we can pray that in the Third Christian Millennium a great harvest of
faith will be reaped in this vast and vital continent of Asia” (EA 1) (JP II 1999:
359).
The Exhortation is composed of seven parts dealing with the following
themes: the Asian context, Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit as Lord and Giver
of life, proclamation of Jesus in Asia (with a focus on inculturation),
communion and dialogue for mission (with a focus on ecumenical and
interreligious dialogue), the service of human promotion, and Christians as
witnesses to the Gospel.
The long document concludes as “The peoples of Asia need Jesus Christ and
his Gospel. Asia is thirsting for the Living water that Jesus alone can give (cf.
Jn. 4:10-15). The disciples of Christ in Asia must therefore be unstinting in
their efforts to fulfil the mission they have received from the Lord, who has
promised to be with them to the end of the age (cf. Mt. 28:20)/ trusting in
the Lord who will not fail those whom He has called, the Church in Asia
joyfully makes her pilgrim way into the Third Millennium.”
8) Nota dottrinale su alcuni aspetti dell’evangelizzazione – Doctrinal
Note on Some Aspects of Evangelization
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has cited Pope John Paul II’s
Encyclical letter on December 3, 2007.
The Doctrinal Note is devoted principally to an exposition of the Catholic
Church’s understanding of the Christian mission of evangelization which is to
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the word “Gospel” translates
“evangelion” in the Greek New Testament. ...
The Doctrinal Note cites Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter “The Mission of
the Redeemer” in recalling that “Every person has the right to hear the Good
News (Gospel) of the God who reveals and gives Himself in Christ, so that
each one can live out in its fullness his or her proper calling.’ This right
implies the corresponding duty to evangelize.”
Today there is “a growing confusion” about the Church’s missionary
mandate. Some think “that any attempt to convince others on religious
matters is a limitation of their freedom,” suggesting that it is enough to
invite people “ to act according to their consciences,” or to “become more
human or more faithful to their own religion,” or “to build communities
which strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity,” without aiming at
their conversion to Christ and to the Catholic faith.
Others have argued that conversion to Christ should not be promoted
because it is possible for people to be saved without explicit faith in Christ or
formal incorporation in the Church. Because “of these problems, the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged it necessary to public
the present Note.”
9) Verbum Domini: On the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the
Church
This is the Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI written
on September 30, 2010.
This Apostolic Exhortation calls all the People of God to renewal through the
Word of the Lord, and it is eminently practical in the encouragement it
offers for laity and pastors. Pope Benedict begins his letter of
encouragement and call to action with the phrase, “The Word of the Lord
abides forever.” In this simple phrase the whole of the Apostolic Exhortation
is summarized. With this letter an invitation is extended to the entire Church
to return to the animating force of our existence as a Christian people, the
Word of the Lord (see Jn. 1:1). By entering into history through the
Incarnation, the Word of the Lord became a wellspring of grace for all to
draw from eternally. It is from this font that the Pope invites us to drink. He
writes, “With the synod fathers I express my heartfelt hope for the flowering
of a new season of greater love for Sacred Scripture on the part of every
member of the People of God, so that their prayerful and faith-filled reading
of the Bible will, with time, deepen their personal relationship with Jesus.”
Pope Benedict reminds us that each encounter with the Word, in Holy
Scripture, history, creation and worship, represents a grace-filled
opportunity to strengthen and renew our faith.
10) Instrumentum Laboris: The New Evangelization for the Transmission
of the Christian Faith
A working document of General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
documented on February 2, 2011.
From the Preface: “Increase our faith” (Lk. 17:5) is the Apostles’ prayer to
the Lord Jesus, when they realize that faith which is a gift from God, is the
only way of having a personal relationship with Him and fulfilling their
vocation as disciples. Today, because of a lack of faith, Churches are
witnessing a decline in Sacramental and Christian practice among the
faithful to the point that some members can even be called “non-believers.”
Also, many Churches which displayed great enthusiasm are now showing
signs of weariness and apprehension in the face of very complex situations
in today’s world. Hence, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI decided to
celebrate a Year of Faith beginning on 11 October 2012 to commemoratethe
fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the
twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church.
Hence, the goal of evangelization today is, as always, the transmission of the
Christian faith. This task primarily concerns Churches, diocesan and
eparchies, whose worshippers gather regularly for liturgical celebration to
[ass on the treasure of faith to the members of their families,
communities and parishes. They accomplish this task by proclaiming and
bearing witness to the Christian life through the catechumenate, catechesis
and works of charity. New methods and new forms of expression are
needed to convey to the people of today the perennial truth of Jesus Christ.
This renewed dynamism in the Christian community will lead to renewal
missionary activity, now more urgent than ever.
11) Evangelii Gaudium: On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s
World
An Apostolic Exhortation written by Pope Francis on November 24, 2013.
Pope Francis opens the document like this: “The Joy of the Gospel fills the
hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept His offer of
salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With
Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage
the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization
marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for che Church’s journey in
years to come” (#1) (italics mine).
What is this new chapter? My best guess would be the quote below which I
believe sums up the document well: “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is,
a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the
Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and
structures can be suitably channelled for the evangelization of today’s
world rather than for her self-preservation” (#27).
This is a huge statement. As a church, we have been in self-preservation
mode. We have hid ourselves in bunkers and hoped to survive. Pope Francis
is calling four our Church to thrive by choosing the missionary option in
everything that we do.
How do we do this? That’s what the rest of the document is all about.
The key important elements of the document are summarized into the
following:
a) The Basic Proclamation of the Gospel (Kerygma)
For Pope Francis, evangelization begins by sharing the basic message of the
Gospel.
“In catechesis too, we have rediscovered the fundamental role of the first
announcement or kerygma, which needs to be the center of all evangelizing
activity and all efforts at Church renewal… On the lips of the catechist the
first proclamation must ring out over and over: “Jesus Christ loves you; he
gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to
enlighten, strengthen and free you” (#164).
He goes on to note the importance of the kerygma throughout the life of a
Christian:
“It is first in a qualitative sense because it is the principal proclamation, the
one which we must hear again and again in different ways, the one which
we must announce one way or another throughout the process of
catechesis, at every level and moment” (#164).
I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed
personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him
encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one
should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is
excluded from the joy brought by the Lord” (#3).
b) Two Sources of Evangelization
First, we can evangelize only because God first loved us.
An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he
has loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly
take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand
at the crossroads and welcome the outcast.
Second, our evangelization depends on theme # 1: Our ability to accept the
Gospel into our lives.
“Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization.
For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how
can we fail to share that love with others?” (#9).
c) Missionary Disciple
The term “missionary disciple” is used throughout the document. The two
terms are used to hold in tension the need both for a relationships with our
Lord and the need to go to the outskirts to preach the Gospel. One thing is
very clear. Every Baptized member of the Catholic faith is
called to evangelize and is called to be a missionary disciple.
“In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have
become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their
position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of
evangelization" (#120).
“What I would like to propose is something much more in the line of an
evangelical discernment. It is the approach of a missionary disciple, an
approach ‘nourished by the light and strength of the Holy Spirit’” (#51).
d) The Parish
Pope Francis spends a considerable amount of time on the parish as he looks
to see how a missionary impulse would change parish life.
“In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be
evangelizers. It is a
community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in
the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach.
We must admit, though, that the call to review and renew our parishes has
not yet sufficed to bring them nearer to people, to make them
environments of living communion and participation, and to make them
completely mission oriented” (#28)

In some people we see an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for

doctrine and for the Church’s prestige, but without any concern that the
Gospel have a real impact on God’s faithful people and the concrete needs
of the present time” (#95).

Then in regards to sharing the message of the Gospel:

“Pastoral ministry in a missionary style is not obsessed with the disjointed
transmission of a multitude of doctrines to be insistently imposed…the
message has to concentrate on the essentials, on what is most beautiful,
most grand, most appealing and at the same time most necessary. The
message is simplified, while losing none of its depth and truth, and thus
becomes all the more forceful and convincing.”

e) The Poor
We all know that Pope Francis wants “a Church which is poor and for the
poor.” The poor took up a huge section in this Apostolic Exhortation and his
words deserve to be closely examined.

Here are some significant quotes to help sum up his thoughts:

We know that “evangelization would not be complete if it did not take
account of the unceasing interplay of the Gospel and of man’s concrete life,
both personal and social” (#181).

Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument

of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them
to be fully a part of society (#187).

Inspired “God’s heart has a special place for the poor, so much so that he
himself 'became poor' (2 Cor 8:9). The entire history of our redemption is
marked by the presence of the poor. Salvation came to us from the 'yes'
uttered by a lowly maiden from a small town on the fringes of a great
empire.” (#197)

Inspired by this, the Church has made an option for the poor which is
understood as a “special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity,
to which the whole tradition of the Church bears witness” (#198).

“Without the preferential option for the poor, ‘the proclamation of the
Gospel, which is itself the prime form of charity, risks being misunderstood
or submerged by the ocean of words which daily engulfs us in today’s
society of mass communications’” (#199).

12) Mission Education Guidelines for Religious Educators and Catechists

A Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States written on September
2012.

These Guidelines have been prepared to assist catechists and religious

educators in their preparation of classes related to World Mission, with
topics of specific interest under these three domains: Sacraments and
Liturgy, Prayer, and Christian Living. Basic concepts are listed under each to
supplement lesson preparation. Activities are included to help make the
learning concrete and to stimulate the personal creativity of individual
catechists and educators. Throughout, there are references to support the
goals and objectives of particular lesson plans